The present invention relates in general to devices for cleaning musical instruments, and more particularly to a device for cleaning wind musical instruments.
The playing of wind musical instruments causes moisture to collect on the inner wall of the tube of the wind instrument. The breath of the instrumentalists condenses on the inner wall of the tube of the wind instrument. Proper care of the wind instrument requires the removal of the moisture from the inner wall of the tube of the wind instrument. Heretofore, cotton swabs have been employed to remove the moisture that has collected on the inner wall of the tube of the wind instrument. Such swabs were intended to be disposable after the first use and were, therefore, not intended to be washable and reusable after washing. Heretofore, bristles were employed to remove moisture that has collected on the inner wall of the tube of the wind instrument. The bristles with the moisture collected thereon extended through the tone holes of the musical instrument, resulting in moisture collecting on the pad that covers the tone holes. The repeated wetness of the pad causes the pad to become hard rather than remain a soft material.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,504, to Koregelos, issued on Sept. 19, 1978, for Demoisturizer For Wind Musical Instrument, discloses an elongated device with filaments disposed along an elongated member. The filaments extend radially outward from the elongated member. The device is inserted into the tube of the wind instrument, whereby the filaments absorb moisture that has collected on the inner walls of the tube.
The U.S. Pat. No. 1,421,529, to Millhouse, issued on July 4, 1922, for Cleaning Device, discloses a cleaning device having an elongated resilient wire. At the free end of the elongated resilient wire is a bristle brush. The elongated wire is inserted into the tube of the wind instrument and the brush at the free end thereof removes the moisture from the inner wall of the tube of the wind musical instrument.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 3,488,790, to Satch, issued on Jan. 13, 1970, for Cleaning Rod For Woodwind Musical Instruments, there is disclosed a cleaning rod for musical instruments. At the free end of the rod is a hole through which a piece of cloth passes.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,420, to Kafkis, issued on June 19, 1973, for Device For Swabbing The Base of A Musical Instrument, there is disclosed a device for removing moisture from the inner wall of a tube of a wind musical instrument. The device includes a flexible cord. At the free end of the cord is a triangularly shaped body of foamed plastic material. On the foamed plastic body is a contour conforming chamois cloth.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,517, to Guinness, issued on Oct. 6, 1964, for Musical Pipes, discloses a musical pipe made of telescoping tubes. The U.S. Pat. No. 2,637,865, to Posson, issued on May 12, 1953, for Tube Cleaning Tool, discloses a ramrod. At the free end of the ramroad is a cleaning swab.
The U.S. Pat. No. 1,427,582, to Cumpston, issued on Aug. 29, 1922, for Gun Cleaning Device, discloses a ramrod. At the free end of the ramrod is a tip with a slit. A cleaning rag is disposed on the slit of the tip and wrapped around the tip. A sleeve is slipped over the tip. The unwrapped portion of the rag passes through a slit in the sleeve and the free end of the rag hangs loosely from the slit in the sleeve.
The British Patent No. 26,650, to Foster, issued Nov. 17, 1910, for An Improved Cleaning Device For The Barrels of Firearms and For Other Tubes, discloses a cylindrical rod slotted diametrically at the free end thereof. A flannel cloth is inserted into the slot. The cloth is wrapped around the rod and presents a cylindrical surface.
The German Patent No. 25415, to Glatz, issued on Aug. 25, 1906, discloses a rod with a tip at one end.